Life Unexpected
by Mrs.DracoStyles
Summary: What if during the year Edward left Bella, she got pregnant by a surprising person. She gave her daughter up for adoption. Now nearly 16 years later her daughter shows up on her doorstep applying for emancipation. Plot from Life Unexpected but not a crossover. All canon pairings. All Vampire. Takes place 13 years after Nessie is born. Rated T, for mild swearing. No smut.
1. Chapter 1

I looked up at the nice sized house taking in every detail. I looked down at the picture I had in my hand. It was the same house, the same police cruiser was parked in the same place under a tree near the second story window, the porch chairs were stacked the same way and the white door still had a pink butterfly sticker on it. The only difference was that there was no smiling brunette standing in front. The girl in the picture had brown eyes, brown hair, pale skin, and had white teeth. She looked around sixteen.

She most likely didn't live here anymore. She probably moved far away. I would go up and knock on the door and ask for Isabella Swan. The him/her that answered the door would look confused and tell me that no one lived by that name at that residence. And then my search for Isabella Swan would be back at square one.

Yet, whoever owned the police cruiser would have to have some information about the girl. And that could be a step-up. I walked forward and rang the doorbell and heard a faint chime from inside. I heard a male voice grunt and I grew nervous as I heard advancing footsteps and then the door swung open and a man looking like he was fifty looked down at me with surprise. He had a graying mustache and a receding hairline and his eyes were the exact same color as mine. The exact. I stifled a gasp as I realized that I was looking at a relative of mine. The first relative I've ever known. I also realized that I was staring at him and I quickly cleared my head.

"Hi, sir, I was wondering if Isabella Swan was still living here." I told him as I controlled my voice so that it sounded confident.

His eyebrows creased. "I'm sorry but Bella hasn't lived here in nearly thirteen years."

Disappointment washed over me and I swallowed. "Do you have her current address? It's extremely important. I need her to sign something for me."

He looked perplexed. "Who are you?"

A fair question. "I'm Riley."

He looked at me. He could tell that we had the same eyes. "And why are you looking for Bella?"

"She's my mother."

His jaw went slack, and then tightened, then he paled, and then he blushed and then he looked mad, and then he smiled then looked mad again. I couldn't help but giggle a little at my grandfather.

This snapped him out of it.

"You're her? You're Bella's daughter?"

"That's what it says on my birth certificate." I nodded.

"We have the same eyes." He commented.

I smiled and nodded again. He then seemed to realize we were standing outside in the cold weather.

"Well, come in then." He stood back and beckoned me into the house and I gratefully walked into the warm house. It smelled of coffee, metal and fish. It oddly smelled homely instead of disgusting. I had this thing with scents. Whenever I went somewhere new I memorized the scent.

My grandfather walked closed the door and walked into the living room. I followed and we stood there staring at each other. He was surveying me for other similarities I guessed. I don't think he found any. I didn't look much like him or the girl from the photos.

He sat in an arm-chair next the t.v. and muted it from the sports game playing. I sank into the couch across from him.

"So what are you doing here?" He asked after an awkward silence.

"I'm looking for Isabella Swan. You called her Bella?"

He smiled. "That's what she prefers."

"Where does she live? I found her name on my birth certificate and the photograph in my file. I tracked her to here but that's it."

"Tracked her from where?"

"Portland."

"That's far. Did your parents drive you?"

I shook my head. "I took the bus. Fifteen hours."

He looked shocked. "That's a long time."

"Yep. So is Bella living near here?"

"Your parents were okay with putting you on a bus alone?"

I sighed. He was avoiding my question. If I wanted my questions answered I would have to answer his first.

"I never got adopted. I have a rare blood disease. I had to get a lot of surgery when I was younger and no one wants to adopt someone older than four." I replied.

Pity flashed through his eyes. God, I hated that look.

"And you're looking for Bella," he said sounding even more sorry now.

"There was a signature problem on my foster care sheets. Legally Bella is still my mother and I'm applying for emancipation so I need it signed."

He nodded. "Are you hungry?" He said suddenly.

"Look, I don't want anything from her except her signature. After that I'll be out of her and she'll never have to see me again. I just need her to sign the paper so if you could please tell me where she lives."

"Well where she is, is kind of complicated—"

"Is she dead?" I interrupted him.

"No, she lives a few miles from here."

"Then could you please take me to her? I need this. I don't want money, I don't want sympathy and I don't want her to take care of me. All I want is her signature. If I don't get her signature, then I'm going to have spend another two years being bounced around crappy foster-care. With scope-drinking moms and creepy dads. Which, to be blunt, blows. So please, please just take me to her."

He looked at me for a long time. I stared back at him.

"I'm not leaving this house until I get this signed." I said grabbing a folder out of my bag and waving it around.

He finally sighed. "Okay. Let me make a call."


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow! I've got a lot of feedback already! Yay! So guess who's the father yet? It will be revealed in the chapter after next I think. My this is a long chapter! 1,108 words! Not including this! This will be the last chapter for the night! I'll try and update tomorrow! Also you will notice that I made a big change to the story-line. Jacob does NOT imprint on Nessie. I think it's gross and wrong and I do not know what Stephanie Meyer was thinking when she wrote that. He imprints on someone else who is age appropriate. Same to Quil, he doesn't imprint on Claire although that wasn't a huge part of the story. Thanks to all my readers! Please review**

**P.S. Riley looks like Britt Robertson (Lux Cassidy) except with brown eyes instead of grey.**

My grandfather walked into the kitchen and started to talk on the phone. I stayed in the living room and looked at my reflection in the mirror on the wall. I had pale skin, chocolate colored eyes, heavy eyelashes, honey-blonde hair that curled naturally into cute ringlets. Besides the eyes I looked nothing like my mother. I probably looked like my father. Whoever that is. I smiled and shook my hair so that it fell out of my eyes.

"You are really beautiful." My grandfather said walking back into the room.

"Thanks." I blushed.

"You're mother used to be blush at everything too." He smiled.

"Are we going to see her now?" I said. I looked out the window. It was getting dark out. I was not looking forward to taking the bus back to Portland in the dark.

He shook his head. "We're going to a Bon Fire."

"A party?" I said looking at him incredulously.

"Yes."

"Is she going to be there?"

"No."

I let out a groan of frustration. "Then why are we going?"

"Bella can't see you tonight. I'll drive you there tomorrow. You're coming to the Bon Fire with me and you can sleep in Bella's old room tonight."

I sighed. "Fine."

"Don't worry. There will be people your own age there so you won't have to be with your old grandpa all night."

"Cool. Oh by the way, what should I call you? Grandfather feels too formal and it's too long to say, and calling you grandpa might be getting to sentimental."

"Call me Charlie." He said gruffly.

"Okay Charlie." I nodded. "It's nice and simple."

"Come on then." He said shrugging his jacket and opening the door for me. I pulled my hoodie around me and walked towards the car, careful not to trip on anything.

The drive was short. We were only on the road for twenty minutes before we turned onto a little road and at the end of the lane was a tiny house that had once been gray. There was only one narrow window beside the weathered blue door, but the window box under it was filled with bright orange and yellow marigolds, giving the whole place a cheerful look.

"This is Sam Uley's place. He and his wife live here with their kids. He's head of the pack."

"Pack?" I asked.

"I mean tribe." He said looking angry with himself.

"Oh okay."

Charlie walked through the open door into the house. It was very noisy inside. There was a small living room filled with old people.

"Hi Charlie." A man in a wheel-chair said. As soon I walked in, all eyes were on me. It was a little unnerving. They stared as though they were expecting me to drink their blood.

"This is Bella's first born then?" An old man with long gray hair boomed.

First-born. So I had siblings. "I'm Riley."

They continued to stare and another man scoffed as though my name didn't meet his standards.

"It's nice to meet you Riley!" a women's voice called through the room. I turned around and saw a tall girl who was stunningly beautiful except for three long scars that ran from her hairline to her jaw, like she had been clawed. She supported a little toddler on her hip and she had a little baby bump. The half of her face that wasn't scared smiled.

"I'm Emily and this is Levi." She said motioning to copper-skinned black haired toddler boy.

"Hi." I gave a bright over-eager smile.

"Emily we need more matches!" A male's voice called as he emerged. The guy was huge. He was at least seven feet tall and had a short crew cut.

"Dada!" The boy called out to him.

Emily grinned and gave Levi to the man who smiled and lifted his son up high. "Riley this is my husband Sam."

Sam looked at me and surveyed me like the older people did, Emily frowned and gave him a little smack on the head. He gave her an apologetic look and then turned to me and smiled.

"It's nice to meet you Riley. The rest of us are outside if you wanted to come. Food will be ready in a minute." He gestured to me and I followed him out to the back yard. Outside there were a dozen guys who looked just like Sam. Short black hair, dark skin, and all had the same tattoo. I wondered if it was a tribal thing. There were a few girls sitting near each other.

"Woofy!" Levi cried out to the guys. That brought everyone's attention to me. They all stared at me although most of the smiled to which I returned.

"Did he say Wolfie?" I asked Sam.

"Maybe." He said glaring at some of the guys as though they said something rude.

"Um, Sam? Matches?" One of the guys grinned.

"Oh, yeah." Sam said turning back into the house while the guys snickered.

"Hey newbie! Pull up some grass!" The one who reminded Sam of the matches yelled.

I walked over and sat next to him.

"Riley right?" He asked.

"Wow, Small town." I commented.

"Nah, Charlie's just a gossip." He laughed.

"Great." I nodded.

"I'm Seth." He said.

I gave him a thumbs-up.

Seth was going to say something else but right then the guy across from him threw a tin-can that hit him in the head. I laughed as Seth jumped up and chased the guy around the yard shouting, "Brady! I'm going to kill you!"

"You shouldn't laugh at other people's pain." The guy on the other side of me said grinning.

"What you going to do about it?" I challenged.

"Hmm? How about this!" He yelled and before I knew what was happening I was hanging upside-down

"Put me down!" I screamed.

"Not until you guess my name!" He laughed as everyone else turned to watch.

"It's Jacob!" someone shouted.

"I wasn't talking to you Embry!" Jacob yelled setting me down on my butt and launching himself at Embry and they started wrestling.

"Sorry about my boyfriend. Jake can be a dumb-ass." A girl with green eyes auburn hair said.

I laughed. The first time in a long time I had done so. "It's cool."

"I'm Morgan by the way." She said.

"Hey, I'm here!" a new guy said walking into the yard. He looked the same as everyone else, except he felt a little different. He was wearing a blue jeans, and a gray shirt.

"Who's the new chick?" He said roughly. I met his gaze stubbornly. He looked mad but when I met his gaze it all melted away. He stared at me in a way I'd never been stared at. He looked at me like I was the most beautiful, amazing, precious thing in the world. And all of a sudden I felt a pull toward him. Like someone tied us together with steel-cables.

That one moment felt like forever but our gaze was finally broken by Embry who shouted, "Congrats Paul! You finally imprinted!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Another chapter! I wanted to update twice tonight but this chapter is over 4,000 words long even though it's very little of my own writing. Stephenie Meyer and the creators of Life Unexpected own Twilight and Life Unexpected. I don't, obviously. This is , and this story is fanfiction. **

**P.S. Since Jake never imprinted on Nessie, the pack didn't split. Yes, Nessie still exists. **

A stunned silence greeted Embry's outburst. Paul growled at him. Embry laughed at Paul's reaction.

"Oh shut up Paul."

"You shut up Embry." He yelled shaking. Wow, good come back, I thought.

"Paul, why don't you take a walk." Sam told him sounding amused.

Paul looked like that was the last thing he wanted to do but instead of arguing like I expected he spun on his heel and turned heading into the forest of all places.

"What's up his butt?" I asked.

Morgan laughed and everyone else returned to their conversations. I had no idea what an Imprint was. I assumed it was some odd slang that I wasn't familiar with.

"Come on, let's go get something to eat. Girls get first pick otherwise there won't be any food left." Morgan said.

"The guys eat like a pack of wolves." A girl who had long brown hair smiled and Morgan laughed at what seemed to be an inside joke.

After a 15 hour bus ride with a tuna sandwich and three boxes of Sour Patch Kids, I was starving. I piled my plate high with hot dogs, potato salad, and watermelon. Of course my portion was miniscule compared to Seth and the other guys. When I was 11, I lived in a group home with 6 other guys, and I thought those guys were big eaters. They had nothing on these guys.

I think I had everyone's names down, by the time I was done eating. It felt like I was part of a huge family, everyone seemed to know everything about each other. Seth was throwing Marshmallows across the yard while Quil ran around trying to catch them in his mouth. Jared burnt his hand when Tom pushed him into the fire earning him a smack on the head from Kim. Colin and Brady danced around to a "Hip's Don't Lie" for 20 bucks. Just as I was starting to tire Emily's back door opened flooding the yard with artificial light from the kitchen and Charlie and the other elders piled out into the yard.

"Story time!" Seth yelled out. The atmosphere turned suddenly from happy and playful to quiet and excited.

"Stories?" I asked Kim.

"The histories of our tribe," Kim explained. "Going through the legends of how we came to be."

"Riley, you should pay extra attention. You might find some interesting details." Sam leaned over and told me looking at Paul who had been sitting far away from me since he came back.

Everyone sat closer to the fire. Two old men and one older woman sat in front of the fire. A man in the wheelchair cleared his throat.

"That's Billy. My dad." Jake said with his arm around Morgan.

"The Quileutes have been a small people from the beginning," Billy said.

"And we are a small people still, but we have never disappeared. This is because there has always been magic in our blood. It wasn't always the magic of shape-shifting—that came later.

"First, we were spirit warriors."

I leaned against the chair Seth was sitting in. I remembered having to do reports on Greek Myths when I was younger. It had never really caught my interest and I wished nothing better than to drift off to sleep but I paid close attention because of Sam.

"In the beginning, the tribe settled in this harbor and became skilled ship builders and fisherman. But the tribe was small, and the harbor was rich in fish. There were others who coveted our land, and we were too small to hold it. A larger tribe moved against us, and we took to our ships to escape them.

"Kaheleha was not the first spirit warrior, but we do not remember the stories that came before his. We do not remember who was the first to discover this power, or how it had been used before this crisis. Kaheleha _was _the first great Spirit Chief in our history. In this emergency, Kaheleha used the magic to defend our land.

"He and his warriors left the ship—not their bodies, but their spirits. Their women watched over the bodies and the waves, and the men took their spirits back to our harbor.

"They could not physically touch the enemy tribe, but they had other ways. The stories tell us that they could blow fierce winds into their enemy's camps; they could make a great screaming in the wind that terrified their foes. The stories also tell us that the animals could see the spirit warriors and understand them; the animals would do their bidding.

"Kaheleha took his spirit army and wreaked havoc on the intruders. This invading tribe had packs of big, thick-furred dogs that they used to pull their sleds in the frozen north. The spirit warriors turned the dogs against their masters and then brought a mighty infestation of bats up from the cliff caverns.

"They used the screaming wind to aid the dogs in confusing the men. The dogs and bats won. The survivors scattered, calling our harbor a cursed place. The dogs ran wild when the spirit warriors released them. The Quileutes returned to their bodies and their wives, victorious.

"The other nearby tribes, the Hobs and the Makahs, made treaties with the Quileutes.

"They wanted nothing to do with our magic. We lived in peace with them. When an enemy came against us, the spirit warriors would drive them off.

"Generations passed. Then came the last great Spirit Chief, Taha Aki. He was known for his wisdom, and for being a man of peace. The people lived well and content in his care.

"But there was one man, Utlapa, who was not content."

A low hiss ran through the fire.

It was too dark to see where it came from but I leaned forward now, my interest peaking.

Billy ignored it and went on with the legend.

"Utlapa was one of the Chief Taha Aki's strongest spirit warriors—a powerful man, but a grasping man, too. He thought the people should use their magic to expand their lands, to enslave the Hobs and Makahs and build an empire.

"Now, when the warriors were their spirit selves, they knew each other's thoughts. Taha Aki saw what Utlapa dreamed, and was angry with Utlapa. Utlapa was commanded to leave the people, and never use his spirit self again. Utlapa was a strong man, but the chief's warriors outnumbered him. He had no choice but to leave. The furious outcast hid in the forest nearby, waiting for a chance to get revenge against the chief.

"Even in times of peace, the Spirit Chief was vigilant in protecting his people. Often, he would go for a sacred, secret place in the mountains. He would leave his body behind and sweep down through the forests and along the coast, making sure no threat approached.

"One day when Taha Aki left to perform this duty, Utlapa followed. At first, Utlapa simply planned to kill the chief, but that plan had its drawbacks.

Surely the spirit warriors would seek to destroy him, and they could follow faster than he could escape. As he hid in the rocks and watched the chief prepare to leave his body, another plan occurred to him.

"Taha Aki left his body in the secret place and flew with the wind to keep watch over his people. Utlapa waited until he was sure the chief had traveled some distance with his spirit self.

"Taha Aki knew it the instant that Utlapa had joined him in the spirit world,

And he also knew Utlapa's murderous plan. He raced back to his secret place, but even the winds weren't fast enough to save him. When he returned, his body was already gone.

"Utlapa's body lay abandoned, but Utlapa had not left Taha Aki with an escape—he had cut his own body's throat with Taha Aki's hands. Taha Aki followed his body down the mountain. He screamed at Utlapa, but Utlapa ignored him as if he were mere wind.

"Taha Aki watched with despair as Utlapa took his place as chief of the Quileutes.

For a few weeks, Utlapa did nothing but make sure that everyone believe that he was Taha Aki.

Then the changes began—Utlapa's first edict was to forbid any warrior to enter the spirit world. He claimed that he'd had a vision of danger, but really he was afraid.

"He knew that Taha Aki would be waiting for the chance to tell his story. Utlapa was also afraid to enter the spirit world himself, knowing Taha Aki would quickly claim his body. So his dreams of conquest with a spirit warrior army were impossible, and he sought to content himself with ruling over the tribe. He became a burden—seeking privileges that Taha Aki had never requested, refusing to work alongside his warriors, taking a young second wife and then a third, though Taha Aki's wife lived on—something unheard of in the tribe. Taha Aki watched in helpless fury.

"Eventually, Taha Aki tried to kill his body to save the tribe from Utlapa's excesses. He brought a fierce wolf down from the mountains, but Utlapa hid behind his warriors. When the wolf killed a young man who was protecting the false chief, Taha Aki felt horrible grief. He ordered the wolf away.

"All the stories tell us that it was no easy thing to be a spirit warrior. It was more frightening than exhilarating to be freed from one's body. This is why they only used their magic in times of need. The chief's solitary journeys to keep watch were a burden and a sacrifice. Being bodiless was disorienting, uncomfortable, horrifying. Taha Aki had been away from his body for so long at this point that he was in agony.

"He felt he was doomed—never to cross over to the final land where his ancestors waited, stuck in this torturous nothingness forever. The great wolf followed Taha Aki's spirit as he twisted and writhed in agony through the woods. The wolf was very large for its kind, and beautiful.

"Taha Aki was suddenly jealous of the dumb animal. At least it had a body. At least it had a life. Even life as an animal would be better than this horrible empty consciousness. And then Taha Aki had the idea that changed us all. He asked the great wolf to make room for him, to share. The wolf complied. Taha Aki entered the wolf's body with relief and gratitude. It was not his human body, but it was better than the void of the spirit world.

"As one, the man and the wolf returned to the village on the harbor. The people ran in fear, shouting for the warriors to come. The warriors ran to meet the wolf with their spears.

"Utlapa, of course, stayed safely hidden."

"Taha Aki did not attack his warriors. He retreated slowly from them, speaking with his eyes and trying to yelp the songs of his people. The warriors began to realize that the wolf was no ordinary animal, that there was a spirit influencing it. One older warrior, a man named Yut, decided to disobey the false chief's order and try to communicate with the wolf.

"As soon as Yut crossed to the spirit world, Taha Aki left the wolf—the animal waited tamely for his return. To speak to him. Yut gathered the truth in an instant, and welcomed his true chief home.

"At this time, Utlapa came to see if the wolf had been defeated. When he saw Yut lying lifeless on the ground, surrounded by protective warriors, he realized what was happening. He drew his knife and raced forward to kill Yut before he could return to his body.

"'Traitor,' he screamed, and the warriors did not know what to do.

"The chief had forbidden spirit journeys, and it was the chief's decision how to punish those who disobeyed.

"Yut jumped back into his body, but Utlapa had his knife at his throat and a hand covering his mouth. Taha Aki's body was strong, and Yut was weak with age. Yut could not say even one word to warn the others before Utlapa silenced him forever.

"Taha Aki watched as Yut's spirit slipped away to the final lands that were barred to Taha Aki for all eternity. He felt a great rage, more powerful than anything he'd felt before. He entered the big wolf again, meaning to rip Utlapa's throat out.

"But, as he joined the wolf, the greatest magic happened.

"Taha Aki's anger was the anger of a man. The love he had for his people and the hatred he had for their oppressor were too vast for the wolf's body, too human. The wolf shuddered, and—before the eyes of the shocked warriors and Utlapa—transformed into a man.

"The new man did not look like Taha Aki's body. He was far more glorious. The warriors recognized him at once, though, for they had flown with Taha Aki's spirit.

"Utlapa tried to run, but Taha Aki had the strength of the wolf in his new body. He caught the thief and crushed the spirit from him before he could jump out of the stolen body.

"The people rejoiced when they understood what had happened. Taha Aki quickly set everything right, working again with his people and giving the young wives back to their families. The only change he kept in place was the end of the spirit travels. He knew that it was too dangerous now that the idea of stealing a life was there. The spirit warriors were no more.

"From that point on, Taha Aki was more than either wolf or man. They called him Taha Aki the Great Wolf, or Taha Aki the Spirit Man.

"He led the tribe for many, many years, for he did not age. When danger threatened, he would resume his wolf-self to fight or frighten the enemy. The people dwelt in peace. Taha Aki fathered many sons, and some of these found that, after they had reached the age of manhood, they, too, could transform into wolves. The wolves were all different, because they were spirit wolves and reflected the man they were inside."

"So that's why Sam is all black," Dylan muttered under his breath, grinning. "Black heart, black fur."

I was so involved in the story; it was a shock to come back to the present, to the circle around the roaring fire.

"Black fur?" I asked Jake who was near me.

"Dylan being stupid." He muttered throwing a can of root beer at Dylan's head.

Billy ignored this. "Some of the son became warriors with Taha Aki, and they no longer aged. Others, who did not like the transformation, refused to join the pack of wolf-men. These began to age again, and the tribe discovered that the wolf-men could grow old like anyone else if they gave up their spirit wolves. Taha Aki had lived the span of three old men's lives. He had married a third wife after the deaths of the first two, and found in her his true spirit wife. Though he had loved the others, this was something else. He decided to give up his spirit wolf so that he would die when she did.

"That is how the magic came to us, but it is not the end of the story…"

Billy looked over to the old man who had demanded my name earlier.

"Quil's grandfather and namesake. Old Quil." Jake told me.

"That was the story of the spirit warriors," Old Quil began in a thin tenor voice. "This is the story of the third wife sacrifice.

"Many years after Taha Aki gave up his spirit wolf, when he was an old man, trouble began in the north, with the Makahs. Several young women of their tribe had disappeared, and they blamed it on the neighboring wolves, who they feared and mistrusted. The wolf-men could still read each other's thoughts while in their wolf forms, just like their ancestors had while in their spirit forms. They knew that none of their number was to blame. Taha Aki tried to pacify the Makah chief, but there was too much fear. Taha Aki did not want to have a war on his hands. He was no longer a warrior to lead his people. He charged his oldest wolf-son, Taha Wi, with finding the true culprit before hostilities began.

Taha Wi led the five other wolves in his pack on a search through the mountains, looking for any evidence of the missing Makahs. They came across something they had never encountered before—a strange, sweet scent in the forest that burned their noses to the point of pain."

I thought of the rotting mangos that one of my mother's liked to have. Their sickly sweet smell traveled through the entire house and I would have to sit outside to get away from it.

"They did not know what creature would leave such a scent, but they followed it," Old Quil continued. "They found faint traces of human scent, and human blood, along the trail. They were sure this was the enemy they were searching for.

"The journey took them so far north that Taha Wi sent the pack, the younger ones, back to the harbor to report to Taha Aki.

"Taha Wi and his two brothers did not return. The younger brothers searched for their elders, but found only silence. Taha Aki mourned for his sons. He wished to avenge his sons' death, but he was old. He went to the Makah chief in his mourning clothes and told him everything that had happened. The Makah chief believed his grief, and tensions ended between the tribes.

"A year later, two Makah maidens disappeared from their homes on the same night. The Makahs called on the Quileute wolves at once, who found the same sweet stink all through the Makah village. The wolves went on the hunt again.

"Only one came back. He was Yaha Uta, the oldest son of Taha Aki's third wife, and the youngest in the pack. He brought something with him that had never been seen in all the days of the Quileutes—a strange, cold, stony corpse that he carried in pieces. All who were of Taha Aki's blood, even those who had never been wolves, could smell the piercing smell of the dead creature. This was the enemy of the Makahs.

"Yaha Uta described what had happened; he and his brothers had found the creature, who looked like a man but was hard as a granite rock, with the two Makah daughters. One girl was already dead, white and bloodless on the ground.

The other was in the creature's arms, his mouth at her throat. She may have been alive when they came upon the hideous scene, but the creatures quickly snapped her neck and tossed her lifeless body to the ground when they approached.

"His white lips were covered in her blood, and his eyes glowed red. Yaha Uta described the fierce strength and speed of the creature. One of his brothers quickly became a victim when he underestimated that strength. The creature ripped him apart like a doll. Yaha Uta and his other brother were more wary. They worked together, coming at the creature from the sides, outmaneuvering it.

"They had to reach the very limits of their wolf strength and speed, something that had never been tested before. The creature was hard as stone and cold as ice. They found that only their teeth could damage it. They began to rip small pieces of the creature apart while it fought them.

"But the creature learned quickly, and soon was matching their maneuvers. It got its hands on Yaha Uta's brother. Yaha Uta found an opening on the creature's throat, and he lunged. His teeth tore the head off the creature, but the hands continued to mangle his brother.

"Yaha Uta ripped the creature into unrecognizable chunks, tearing pieces apart in a desperate attempt to save his brother. He was too late, but, in the end, the creature was destroyed.

"Or so they thought. Yaha Uta laid the reeking remains out to be examined by the elders. One severed hand lay beside a piece of the creature's granite arm. The two pieces touched when the elders poked them with sticks, and the hand reached out toward the arm piece, trying to reassemble itself.

"Horrified, the elders set fire to the remains. A great cloud of choking, vile smoke polluted the air. When there was nothing but ashes, they separated the ashes into many small bags and spread them far and wide—some in the ocean, some in the forest, some in the cliff caverns. Taha Aki wore one bag around his neck, so he would be warned if the creature ever tried to put himself together again."

Old Quil paused and looked at Billy. Billy pulled out a leather thong from around his neck. Hanging from the end was a small bag, blackened with age. A few people gasped. I might have been one of them.

Wait, what was I thinking? One of them. I was getting so into the story that I forgot that it wasn't real. It was a story of vampires and werewolves.

"They called it The Cold One, the Blood Drinker, and lived in fear that it was not alone. They only had one wolf protector left, young Yaha Uta.

"They did not have long to wait. The creature had a mate, another blood drinker, who came to the Quileutes seeking revenge.

"The stories say that the Cold Woman was the most beautiful thing human eyes had ever seen. She looked like the goddess of the dawn when she entered the village that morning; the sun was shining for once, and it glittered off her white skin and lit the golden hair that flowed down to her knees. Her face was magical in its beauty, her eyes black in her white face. Some fell to their knees to worship her.

"She asked something in a high, piercing voice, in a language no one had ever heard. The people were dumbfounded, not knowing how to answer her. There was none of Taha Aki's blood among the witnesses but one small boy. He clung to his mother and screamed that the smell was hurting his nose.

"One of the elders, on his way to the council, heard the boy and realized what had come among them. He yelled for the people to run. She killed him first.

"There were twenty witnesses to the Cold Woman's approach. Two survived, only because she grew distracted by the blood, and paused to sate her blood.

"They ran to Taha Aki, who sat in counsel with the other elders, his sons, and his third wife.

"Yaha Uta transformed into his spirit wolf as soon as heard the news. He went to destroy the blood drinker alone. Taha Aki, his third wife, his sons, and his elders followed behind him.

"At first they could not find the creature, only the evidence of her attack. Bodies lay broken, a few drained of blood, strewn across the road where she'd appeared. Then they heard the screams and hurried to the harbor.

"A handful of the Quileutes had run to the ships for refuge. She swam after them like a shark, and broke a bow of their boat with her incredible strength. When the ship sank, she caught those trying to swim away and broke them, too.

"She saw the great wolf on the shore, and she forgot the fleeing swimmers. She swam so fast she was a blur and came, dripping and glorious, to stand before Yaha Uta. She pointed at him with one white finger and asked another incomprehensible question. Yaha Uta waited.

"It was a close fight. She was not the warrior her mate had been. But Yaha Uta was alone—there was no one to distract her fury from him.

"When Yaha Uta lost, Taha Aki screamed in defiance. He limped forward and shifted into an ancient, white-muzzled wolf. The wolf was old, but this was Taha Aki the Spirit Man, and his rage made him strong. The fight began again.

"Taha Aki's third wife had just seen her son die before her. Now her husband fought, and she had no hope that he could win.

"She'd heard every word the witnesses to the slaughter had told the council. She'd heard the story of Yaha Uta's first victory, and knew that his brother's diversion had saved him.

"The third wife grabbed a knife from the belt of one of the sons who stood beside her.

"They were all young sons, not yet men, and she knew they would die when their father failed.

"The third wife ran toward the Cold Woman with the dagger raised high. The Cold Woman smiled, barely distracted from her fight with the old wolf. She had no fear of the weak human woman or the knife that would even scratch her skin, and she was about to deliver the death blow to Taha Aki.

"And then the third wife did something the Cold Woman did not expect. She fell to her knees at the blood drinker's feet and plunged the knife into her own heart.

"Blood spurted through the third wife's fingers and splashed against the Cold Woman. The blood drinker could not resist the lure of the fresh blood leaving the third wife's body. Instinctively, she turned to the dying woman, for one second entirely consumed by thirst. Taha Aki's teeth closed around her neck.

"That was not the end of the fight, but Taha Aki was not alone now. Watching their mother die, two young sons felt such rage that they sprang forth as their spirit wolves, though they were not yet men. With their father, they finished the creature.

"Taha Aki never rejoined the tribe. He never changed back to a man again. He lay for one day beside the body of the third wife, growling whenever anyone tried to touch her, and then he went into the forest and never returned.

"Trouble with the cold ones was rare from that time on. Taha Aki's sons guarded the tribe until their sons were old enough to take their places. There was never more than three wolves at a time. It was enough. Occasionally a blood drinker would come through these lands, but they were taken by surprise, not expecting the wolves.

"Sometimes a wolf would die, but never were they decimated again like that first time. They'd learned how to fight the cold ones, and they passed the knowledge on, wolf mind to wolf mind, spirit to spirit, father to son.

"Time passed, and the descendants of Taha Aki no longer became wolves when they reached manhood. Only in a great while, if a cold one was near, would the wolves return. The cold ones always came in ones and twos, and the pack stayed small.

"A bigger coven came, and your own great-grandfathers prepared to fight them off. But the leader spoke to Ephraim Black as if he were a man, and promised not to harm the Quileutes. His strange yellow eyes gave some proof to his claim that they were not the same as other blood drinkers. The wolves were outnumbered; there was no need for the cold ones to offer a treaty when they could have won the fight. Ephraim accepted. They've stayed true to their side, though their presence does tend to draw in others.

"And their numbers have forced a larger pack than the tribe had ever seen," Old Quil said, and for one moment his black eyes, all but buried in the wrinkles of skin folded around them, seemed to rest on me.

I stared back at him wondering why he had such a problem with me.

"Damn Cullen's." Dylan muttered and Jake hit him on the head again.

"Except, of course, in Taha Aki's time," he said, and then he sighed. "And so the sons of our tribe again carry the burden and share the sacrifice their fathers endured before them." Old Quil sighed and looked around the fire at each one of the men in turns.

Chatter picked back up and normal conversation resumed. I leaned back against Seth's vacant chair and closed my eyes.

I imagined a little kid bringing in a family tree to school showing how he was a werewolf and how it started from Taha Aki.

I thought of my mother. I would see her tomorrow. I would be back in Portland in two days.

Spirit Warriors…

Dylan had muttered Cullen…

Werewolves…

Vampires…

The name Cullen was in my file….

The Cold Ones…

Taha Aki…

Old Quil looked at every man after the story…

Spirit Warriors…

Sam telling me pay special attention…

Werewolves…

Dylan also said something about Sam's hair…

Cold Ones…

No, Dylan said something about Sam's fur…

Werewolves…

Fur…

My eyes flashed open and I sat up straight and I exclaimed, "Crap."

**Author's Note: So Riley figured it out! How will she deal with it? What's going to happen with the Imprint? I actually haven't figured that out yet. Hopefully it will come to me when my fingers hit the keyboard. And there was a clue to her father in here! Hint* The name Cullen wasn't in her file because of Bella. 'I'll try and update tomorrow, but I do have ballet so if I do it will be a late update. **


	4. Chapter 4

"Riley?" Seth asked looking at me. I jumped up and stared up at him. He looked one hundred percent human, but there had to be some kind of sign of what he really was. The short hair, bulging muscles, tribal tattoo. I took a step back and started to fall, Seth caught me with inhuman speed. I stood up and yanked my arm out of his grip. His skin was scalding hot.

"I'll be right back." I said and ran into the woods, far enough that I couldn't see or hear anyone, but not so far that I wouldn't be able to easily find my way back.

I sat down on a fallen tree started rubbing the crease in-between my bicep and forearm. A habit I'd picked up when I was small since that's usually where they drew blood for my tests.

I processed everything that I'd just learned. The Quileute tribe was a bunch of werewolves.

It sounded silly even in my head. Although a lot of girls in my school fantasized over Vampire and Werewolf relationships, I'd never given it a second thought.

I loved horror movies but I never watched the ones with mythical fairies. Because that's what they were. Mythical.

I was over-thinking this. I had to be wrong. I mean werewolves? I mentally laughed. They were stories. They were just going over old stories.

But the guys matched the descriptions perfectly. And Dylan talking about Sam's fur.

And just the way everyone acted. It felt true.

"Figure it out have you?" A rough voice said behind me. I jumped up and turned around.

Paul stood there looking down at me. I was 5'7" so I usually felt tall but Paul was at least 7' so he towered over me. He was still wearing a gray shirt and blue jeans that were ripped at the knees. His eyes were a caramel brown. His hair was as black as the night and even though it was short there were a few strands sticking out all over the place.

"It's true then." I asked.

He nodded.

"Well, I just stepped into an asylum didn't I?"

"What's so crazy about werewolves? I mean there's a creature that breaths underwater, never swims backward, has over 100 razor-sharp teeth and kills on sight."

"What is it?" I asked suddenly scared.

"A shark." He replied.

I laughed. "Yeah, I guess when you look at it like that."

"Well most people don't get all the details you did."

"Why did the tribe—or pack I guess, tell me? Obviously this is some kind of big secret."

"I think it was because of your mother."

"What about my mother?" I asked suddenly. "What is she a demon?"

"No. She's a filthy bloodsucker." He spat surprising me with his turn on attitude.

I was stunned. It took me a minute to find my voice. "She's a vampire?" I asked slowly.

He nodded. "She was a human when she had you. Then a year after that she was changed."

"How? Tell me everything." I commanded. I expected him to scoff and for a second it looked like he would but then he started explaining in a very fast voice.

"She married a vampire. Not your father, another guy. His name was Edward Cullen. The Cullen's were in the stories you heard tonight. The coven that drank the blood of animals instead of humans. She was dating the guy, Edward and then out of nowhere they left her. All of a sudden they just picked up and left. It really hurt her and she was acting all strange like a zombie. It was horrible. Then this vampire was after her so she came to us and we protected her and she was like part of our family. Then a year-later the Cullen's came back and she got back together with Edward and she left us. They got married and they turned her into a vampire."

"I can't believe she did that." I said feeling a little empty. The fact that she would just walk out of their life to be with someone who left her, made me feel a little disappointed. I had always kept my parents on high pedestals, making up reasons why they gave me up. I vaguely wondered if she gave me up to be with this Edward person.

Paul looked like he wanted to comfort me. He took a step closer and lifted his arms slightly as though he was going to hug me then seemed to think better of it and took a few steps back. Which was fine by me. Hugs weren't really my thing.

"It's not really the whole story, but I don't really know much of it."

"You weren't close to her, then?"

He grinned sheepishly. "Not really. I kind of accidently almost killed her when I phased."

I laughed loudly then I blushed. "I probably shouldn't be laughing."

"Nah, if you saw her face."

"I can't imagine any of you turning into wolves." I said shaking my head.

"Well believe it. You'll see it soon."

"I'm heading back to Portland tomorrow."

An emotion I couldn't pin-point flashed across his face. Then he sighed. "Why are you here anyway?"

"Applying for emancipation."

"Why?"

"Ever been in foster-care?" I asked.

"Nope."

"Then you wouldn't get it."

"Guess not."

"Oh hey, what's imprinting?" I asked curious.

He stared at me for a long moment and then said in a quiet voice, "Nothing important."

**Author's Note: Hey! So I caught a crazy sudden flu and since I couldn't sleep I wrote this instead. A little Riley/Paul bonding in this one. I tried to keep her reaction to this realistic but I failed miserably. I feel like if I found out that Vamps and Weres are real I would probably take it calmly. Although I feel like Riley should be taking this with a little more freak-out but instead I just wrote a stupid little shark part. Next chapter will be better and hopefully a little longer since the last one was so long but it didn't have much of my own writing. I'm trying to keep fairly long chapters so my #1 rule will be that no chapter will be under 900 words. This one is a little over 1,000. **

**Next Chap: Riley meets Bella and we find out who Riley's father is. Hint* the name Cullen isn't in Riley's file because of Bella. **


	5. Chapter 5

**AussieGirl: Thanks for Reviewing! And this is your update since you said please! :) **

**Psychovampirefreak: Thank you! I hope it stays great! Knowing me, I'll probably screw it up somehow.**

**Nijer: You're review legit made me smile a big goofy smile. I'm going to try an update every two days when I get better. I have the flu right now so I'm just updating when I'm not asleep.**

**Mira SeverusSirius Black-Snape: Aw, thanks! **

**AussieGirl: Thanks! I'm updating randomly right now but I'm going to try and update every two days.**

**Jellybelly: Thanks! I just wrote it two days ago**** usually when I think up a character I immediately know everything about them and I have their entire life planned out but with Riley I'm not really sure where I'm going with her. I'll figure it out on the way I guess!**

**Mira SeverusSirius Black-Snape: I hope that lol is a good thing. Lol **

**AussieGirl: Thank you so much! **

**Sndoles: Me too. **

**Mira SeverusSirius Black-Snape: I hope that wow is a good thing. **

**AussieGirl: Thank you so much! **

**MooNOrchiD: Thank you! I'm looking forward to the continuation too!**

Here's the thing we started out friends  
It was cool but it was all pretend  
Yeah yeah  
Since U Been Gone

You dedicated you took the time  
Wasn't long till I called you mine  
Yeah Yeah  
Since U Been Gone

And all you'd ever hear me say  
Is how I pictured me with you  
That's all you'd ever hear me say

But Since U Been Gone  
I can breathe for the first time  
I'm so moving on  
Yeah, yeah  
Thanks to you  
Now I get  
What I want  
Since U Been Gone

I woke up bleary eyed and not taking in my surroundings. I turned over pulling the pillow in close to me.

How can I put it? You put me on  
I even fell for that stupid love song  
Yeah, yeah  
Since U Been Gone

How come I'd never hear you say  
I just wanna be with you  
I guess you never felt that way

But Since U Been Gone  
I can breathe for the first time  
I'm so moving on  
Yeah, yeah  
Thanks to you  
Now I get (I get) what I want  
Since U Been Gone

I leaned over and my arm flailed and hit the alarm clock.

You had your chance you blew it  
Out of sight, out of mind  
Shut your mouth I just can't take it  
Again and again and again and again

Since U Been Gone  
I can breathe for the first time  
I'm so moving on  
Yeah, yeah  
Thanks to you (thanks to you)  
Now I get, I get what I want  
I can breathe for the first time  
I'm so moving on  
Yeah, yeah  
Thanks to you (thanks to you)  
Now I get (I get)  
You should know (you should know)  
That I get, I get what I want  
Since U Been Gone  
Since U Been Gone  
Since U Been Gone

The song continued to blare and that's when I remembered I didn't have an alarm clock. I sat up straight in the Queen Sized Bed that I slept in and last night's events came rushing back to me. I turned off the alarm clock on the bedside table.

I looked around the room and hugged the purple comforter around me. The room had light blue walls, dark wood floors, yellow curtains were pulled away from the big window that exposed the cloudy sky and rainy weather. There was a small walk in closet in the corner of the room holding empty hangers and a few articles of old clothing. A large study desk stood in the corner with gigantic computer. The room was lacking of any personal belongings. No posters, stuffed animals, precious artifacts.

I heard Charlie moving around downstairs and I slowly got up and looked at myself in the full-length mirror on the closet door. I had fallen asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. I was wearing flannel sweats and a t-shirt. My make-up was smudged from not taking it off the night before.

I grabbed my back-pack off the floor and went into the bathroom. I changed into my blue jeans and put on a blue Aerosmith shirt with silver hoops and a grey jacket. I sniffed it. It still carried the scent of the fire and a thick husky scent that belonged to one of the guys. I inhaled it and hoped that I'd one day be able to go back to La Push.

I made the bed as a gesture to Charlie and headed downstairs to the kitchen. I found him with a few boxes of take-out. He smiled as I entered the room.

"I went to the diner to pick up some breakfast. I'm not much of a cook."

"But you're a big eater by the looks of it." I said looking at the boxes. He must have ordered half of what the diner served.

He shrugged sheepishly. "I didn't know what you liked."

"I like bagels." I smiled taking an onion bagel that was still warm and slathered it with cream cheese.

"Good." He smiled.

We ate in silence. I had a feeling Charlie wasn't much of a talker.

"So when are we leaving?" I asked shoving a fried egg in my mouth.

"As soon as you're ready."

"I'm ready now." I said fast. I finished my breakfast and put my plate on the sink.

Charlie followed my suit and as he shrugged on his jacket I took one more look around the house. I doubted my mother knew how lucky she had been. She had a loving father, a nice house and her own room. God, I loved sleeping in a room by myself. I had never done that before. It was always a luxury if I got my own bed. More often than not I shared a bed with a kicking six year-old.

Charlie must have seen my far-away expression because he put a hand on my shoulder and said, "You know you're always welcome here." He said.

Although I had no intention of coming back here anytime soon, I was really touched by what he said.

"Thank you." I said quietly. I swung my back-pack around my shoulders and climbed into the cruiser.

The ride to the Cullen's was slightly longer than the trip last night. We took the same road heading to La Push and then we took a sharp turn into the forest on a weaving road. The trees were getting thicker and there seemed to be no clear path.

"She lives in the woods?" I asked picturing a little hovel with no windows and a group of vampires huddled together.

"Only place big enough for their house."

I was going to ask what he meant but then we broke through the trees and into a huge clearing where a tall 5 story house stood. It had a white structure and glass walls with orange beams. A pond was on the side of the house and the water was as blue as the ocean. A white and silver garage stood near the house. So this is where my mother lived.

My stomach was in knots. Whenever I was relocated I felt nervous but every time I had an idea of what to expect. People who just wanted a babysitter, people who just wanted a government check, and others. Here I had no idea what to expect.

I followed Charlie up to the house and onto the porch. He rang the door-bell and I heard a really fancy chime echo throughout the house. The door swung open and my mother appeared smiling.

She looked nothing like her 16 year old self. Her long brown hair was now a shoulder length bob and it was wavy. Her pale complexion was now enhanced. Her brown eyes that we used to share were now a golden yellow that Paul told me was due to her drinking animal blood. Her white teeth shined with her smile and it was probably just my imagination but they looked a little sharper. She looked older too. Not old, old but like she was in her early thirties.

"Hi, Charlie!" She said in a voice that wasn't deep but wasn't quite high-pitched either. "I'm sorry I haven't talked to you lately, I've been so busy…" She chattered on and it was obvious she hadn't noticed me standing behind Charlie.

"So come on in, I think we have some cake in the kitchen if you wanted a slice. Rosalie has been trying out new recipes for Nessie and—"

It was then that she finally noticed me. Her smile drooped and her eyes held a confused look.

"Charlie who is this?" She asked a little accusingly. Like Charlie wasn't supposed to bring people here. Which he probably wasn't. It was clear that she didn't recognize me. But then again she hadn't seen me in 16 years.

"Bella," Charlie said in a firm voice. "This is your daughter, Riley."

Confusion passed over her face and then sudden realization. Her eyes grew wide, and her hands flew to her mouth. Her eyes looked a little watery and I got a feeling that vampires couldn't cry. Her face held a look of hope, a look I've been dying to see on my mother since I was in my first foster home. If this was anything like my dreams then she would wrap her arms around me tell me some story about not being able to care for me because she was a secret agent and didn't want my life threatened by enemy spies. Then we would move to a ranch in Calgary and I would ride horses and she would cook and my father and I would race across cornfields on black Stallions. Of course that was never going to happen.

"Hi." I gave a shy wave.

"I can't believe you're here." She said her voicing breaking with emotion. "How did you find me? I mean I'm so glad that you did, it's just the last time I saw you, you were just so tiny, and now, I mean you're so big,"

I laughed as tears sprung into my eyes which I tried to hide.

She lifted her hands and continued to babble, her voice filled with happiness and sadness. "I mean you're not big, big you're proportional big."

She gave a quick glance up at Charlie who was looking the other way as though to give us privacy.

"Are you okay? Are you good?" She impatiently brushed a strand of hair that fell into her eyes.

I smiled and shrugged. "Yeah, I'm fine. You know proportional."

"You're beautiful. Really you are, I'm not just saying that because I'm your mom, really you're stunning. You look like your father, oh and you have my eyes. Well my old eyes, I mean—" She stuttered as she accidently let her vampire slip.

"It's okay Bells, she knows. I had Sam explain it to her." Charlie said. Her eyes snapped up to him looking concerned.

"You took her to La Push?" She said her voice cracking with worry.

"She's fine. The guys wouldn't hurt her." Charlie said. "They have the new ones, Dylan and Tom under control."

"It's not that, you just can't take her to La Push. It's violates the treaty." She said her voice rising.

"And how exactly does it violate the treaty?" Charlie asked his brows furrowing.

Her hand made a little squeezing motion to show her frustration. "It—it just does!"

"Wow, okay can we stop this family feud?" I asked stepping between them.

Bella looked shocked and then she nodded. "Of course, I'm sorry. Come in, Riley."

She opened the door and Charlie and I walked in. If the house looked big on the outside, it was nothing compared to the inside. The door led directly into a large sitting room with long white couches, loveseats and armchairs. One a raised platform was a Grand Piano. On the wall was a 72 inch wall mount with a high-tech gaming system. The large glass wall showed the amazing view of the pond.

Bella sat down on the couch and motioned for me to sit next to her. I plopped down next to her and Charlie sat in the armchair across from us.

"So you're here." She smiled staring as though determined to take in every detail.

"Yeah, I am."

"Where did you come from? Well, obviously I know where you came from but where do you live?"

"Portland, um, I came here because I need you to sign something for me." I reached into my backpack and pulled out my folder.

She looked confused, "Sign?"

"Yes," I said placing the papers in front of her and grabbing a pen. "I can't get emancipated without this."

"What? Emancipated from what? The people who adopted you?" She asked reading the papers.

"From the foster-care system. She was never adopted." Charlie said speaking for the first time since we entered the house.

"What? But, but they said they'd have no problem getting you adopted. They said that there was this waiting list—"

"I'm not sure if they told you, but I have a rare blood disease, and there were a lot of surgeries and a baby on the operating table isn't really a good selling point to perspective parents."

She shook her head. "They didn't—I didn't—I mean I didn't know."

"Yeah, well I've been in foster-care since. No big deal, it's just I need this signed to get emancipated." I said pushing the papers toward her.

"Um, okay, yeah." She scribbled a fast signature and gave me the documents back.

"Thanks," I smiled putting it in my back-pack.

"That's it? You're okay? Do you need anything?" She asked laying her hand on top of mine. Despite the fact that her skin was as cold as ice and as hard as marble a sudden feeling of warmth spread through me.

"No, I'm fine. I just need to get these to social services then my hearing is the day after tomorrow." I said standing up. She looked up at me and stood. I noticed that I was a few inches taller than her.

"So now you're going to Portland?"

"Yeah, actually the bus is leaving soon so if someone can give me a ride to the station."

"I can drive you back to Portland. You don't have to take the bus." Bella offered.

I shook my head. "No it's cool. Really, I'll be fine. Charlie ordered half the diner for breakfast so I have some food in my pack for lunch and dinner."

"Okay, then do you need anything else? Anything? Money? A place to stay?" She looked so lost. Like she had no idea what to do.

"I'm fine. Don't take offense to this, but I've been taking care of myself since I was born. I don't need anything."

An expression of hurt flashed across her face. "I never meant for this to happen," Bella said shaking her head. "They told me everything would be fine. They said they would have no problem getting you adopted." She touched my shoulder.

"Well, I guess they lied." I turned to Charlie. "So, that ride?"

He stood up and nodded. "Sure."

"Riley, if there's ever anything you need," Bella started but I cut her off with a hug. She froze for a second and I wondered how stupid I was for hugging a vampire but then she gave me a tight hug back. A little too tight, she didn't know her own strength.

"Good-bye then." I smiled and turned to leave with Charlie when we heard voices floating through the house.

A man with bronze hair, yellow eyes and pale skin walked in with a girl who looked 12 years old, and had the same bronze hair, and pale skin except she had brown eyes. My brown eyes. I supposed this was my sister. They were laughing but stopped abruptly when they saw me.

"Grandpa!" The girl said waving to Charlie who waved back.

"Chief Swan." The man nodded looking at Charlie. Then he turned to me. "And you are?"

"No one, important." I told him. His eyebrows furrowed.

"We were just leaving." Charlie said. He put an arm around my shoulders and led me out of the house and back to Portland.

llllllllllllllllllllllllllll llllllllllllllllllllllllllll llllllllllllllllllllllllllll llllllllllllllllllllllllllll llllllllllllllllllllllllllll llllllllllllllllllllllllllll llllllllllllll

**Author's Note: Hey! So I created this story two days ago and already I got a lot of feedback! I'm really happy about this! I know I said you'd find out who's Riley's father in this chapter but I lied. If you're good at reading foreshadowing then you might be able to figure it out in this chapter. You'll for sure find out next chapter which will be in Bella's P.O.V. I know my chapters seem short but this chapter was over 2,000 words all of my own writing except the song. That's Kelly Clarkson! Love her! **


	6. Chapter 6

Bella P.O.V.

I was sitting in the second floor kitchen going over Renesmee's homework. Not that there was anything really go over. She had straight A+'s, was never in trouble and played flute in the school band. Renesmee was the perfect student but things came so easily to her she didn't have any initiative. Edward and Nessie were out on a hunting trip a few miles north. Emmett was being forced to carry Alice and Rosalie's shopping bags in Port Angeles and Jasper was with Carlisle and Esme doing something in town.

I was contemplating what to do to make Renesmee feel a little more challenged when the doorbell rang. I flounced to door happy not to trip on anything. I swung open the door and smiled when I saw Charlie.

"Hi, Charlie!" I said happy to see him. I felt bad about not seeing Charlie in a while. "I'm sorry I haven't talked to you lately, I've been so busy. Rosalie's been teaching me how to work on cars and it's really been keeping me occupied. What I was doing when Jake taught me these things, I don't know but I really should have paid attention. So come on in, I think we have some cake in the kitchen if you wanted a slice. Rosalie has been trying out new recipes for Nessie and—"

I broke off as I noticed a teenage girl standing behind Charlie. She was a few inches taller than me. She had long honey-blonde hair that curled into soft ringlets, soft ivory skin, long eyelashes, full pink lips and chocolate brown eyes. She was beautiful. When I looked at her though I felt a jolting tug of familiarity in my stomach. I knew her. I knew her. I knew her. I felt a horrible longing that I didn't understand.

"Charlie who is this?" I asked a little accusingly. I knew her. I knew her. I knew her. Where did I know her from?

"Bella," Charlie said in a firm voice. "This is your daughter, Riley."

I felt confused for a moment and then everything came rushing back. My eyes grew wide and my hands flew to my mouth.

I remembered.

I remembered sitting in a bathroom with Angela and 6 pregnancy tests.

I remembered standing in Charlie's living room while he screamed at me.

I remembered going to the doctors and finding out it was a girl.

I remembered clutching my belly as Laurent advanced on me fearing for her safety.

I remembered Jacob holding me while I cried and promising to take care of me.

I remembered Sam talking to me about Victoria.

I remembered going to talk to the social worker and telling her that I wanted adoption.

I remembered going into labor at Emily's house and being rushed to the hospital by the pack.

I remembered being in labor for 14 hours.

I remembered looking at a little pink baby,

I remembered watching her being taken away.

I remembered the pain in my chest as I cried and screamed that night while Jake stroked my hair.

I remembered her father.

"Hi." She gave a shy wave. She had a sweet bubbly voice.

"I can't believe you're here." I said my voicing breaking with emotion. "How did you find me? I mean I'm so glad that you did, it's just the last time I saw you, you were just so tiny, and now, I mean you're so big,"

She laughed and I quickly realized I just called her fat.

I lifted my hands and continued to babble. "I mean you're not big, big you're proportional big."

"Are you okay? Are you good?" I impatiently brushed a strand of her out of my eyes. I was determined to drink in every detail of her.

She smiled and shrugged. "Yeah, I'm fine. You know proportional."

I laughed. She was funny. Her smile lighted up her gorgeous face.

"You're beautiful. Really you are, I'm not just saying that because I'm your mom, really you're stunning. You look like your father, oh and you have my eyes. Well my old eyes, I mean—" I stuttered as I let my secret slip. I mentally beat myself up. What was she going to think of me? What girl wanted a vampire as a mother?

"It's okay Bells, she knows. I had Sam explain it to her." Charlie said. My head shot up. What was Charlie thinking? She couldn't go to La Push! It violated the treaty! No Cullen could go on Quileute territory.

"You took her to La Push?" I asked quickly.

"She's fine. The guys wouldn't hurt her." Charlie said. "They have the new ones, Dylan and Tom under control."

"It's not that, you just can't take her to La Push. It's violates the treaty." I told him.

"And how exactly does it violate the treaty?" Charlie asked his brows furrowing.

My hand made a little squeezing motion showing my frustration. "It—it just does!"

She wasn't technically a Cullen though.

"Wow, okay can we stop this family feud?" Riley asked stepping between us.

I looked at her shocked. "Of course, I'm sorry. Come in, Riley."

I loved the way her name sounded. It was such a pretty name. And it fit her too.

I opened the door and led them into the living room. She had her father's graceful way of walking where as I used to trip over flat surfaces.

"So you're here." I said as we both sat on the long white couch while Charlie took up the armchair in the corner.

"Yeah, I am." She smiled.

"Where did you come from? Well, obviously I know where you came from but where do you live?" I asked. It didn't occur to me till now why she was here. I was just so happy to see her.

"Portland, um, I came here because I need you to sign something for me." She reached into her backpack and pulled out a folder.

"Sign?" I asked confused.

"Yes," she said placing the papers in front of me and grabbing a pen. "I can't get emancipated without this."

"What? Emancipated from what? The people who adopted you?" I asked reading the papers confused.

"From the foster-care system. She was never adopted." Charlie said speaking for the first time since we entered the house.

"What? But, but they said they'd have no problem getting you adopted. They said that there was this waiting list—" I said fast.

"I'm not sure if they told you, but I have a rare blood disease, and there were a lot of surgeries and a baby on the operating table isn't really a good selling point to perspective parents."

Blood Disease. She was sick. She was really sick. No one told me. I felt like I got punched in the gut.

I shook her head. "They didn't—I didn't—I mean I didn't know."

"Yeah, well I've been in foster-care since. No big deal, it's just I need this signed to get emancipated." She pushed the papers closer to me.

"Um, okay, yeah." I scribbled a fast signature still thinking about her blood disease. Could it have anything to do with her father?

"Thanks," she smiled putting it in her back-pack.

"That's it? You're okay? Do you need anything?" I asked putting my hand on top of hers, eager to help. To learn about her.

"No, I'm fine. I just need to get these to social services then my hearing is the day after tomorrow." She stood up. She was ready to walk out of my life again. I didn't want her too. I stood up and tried to talk her out of it.

"So now you're going to Portland?"

"Yeah, actually the bus is leaving soon so if someone can give me a ride to the station." She looked at Charlie. She wanted Charlie to drive her, not me.

"I can drive you back to Portland. You don't have to take the bus." I offered wanting to spend as much time with her as I could.

She shook my head. "No it's cool. Really, I'll be fine. Charlie ordered half the diner for breakfast so I have some food in my pack for lunch and dinner."

"Then do you need anything else? Anything? Money? A place to stay?" I asked. I wanted to help her. I wanted her to know that I cared.

"I'm fine. Don't take offense to this, but I've been taking care of myself since I was born. I don't need anything." She told me.

I couldn't stop the expression of hurt from flashing across my face. "I never meant for this to happen," I said shaking my head. "They told me everything would be fine. They said they would have no problem getting you adopted."

"Well, I guess they lied." She said. She didn't say it harshly but it stung just the same.

"So, that ride?" She asked Charlie.

He stood up and nodded. "Sure."

"Riley, if there's ever anything you need," I started but she cut me off with a hug. I froze for a second and then hugged back tight. Probably too tight but I wanted to hold her forever. It was too soon when she pulled back.

"Good-bye then." She smiled and turned to leave with Charlie when we heard voices floating through the house.

I'd been so involved in the conversation that I didn't hear Edward or Nessie return home.

"Grandpa!" Nessie said happily waving to Charlie who waved back.

"Chief Swan." Edward nodded looking at Charlie. Then he turned to Riley. "And you are?"

He wore an odd expression on his face. One I recognized. He couldn't read Riley's mind. I hoped he wasn't paying any attention to Charlie's.

"No one, important." Riley told him. I wanted to scream at her that she was important. That she my daughter and I loved her. That I wanted her.

"We were just leaving." Charlie said. He put an arm around her shoulders and led her out of the house back to Portland. Away from me.

"Bella, love, are you alright?" Edward said looking concerned.

"I'm fine." I lied to him smiling. "How was your hunting trip?"

"It was fine. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine. I just have a lot of my mind."

"Well okay, I'm going to take Renesmee back to the cottage."

"Okay," I smiled giving him a quick peck on the lips.

I needed some time to think. I needed to talk to someone. I couldn't talk to Edward. He didn't know anything about Riley.

I wanted to talk to Jake but I couldn't. Riley was a bit of a sore subject for us.

The person I needed to talk to was her father. I had kept my distance from him ever since he came back into my life. We made a silent agreement not to speak of it.

I walked up the grand staircase up to the third floor to the end of the hallway and knocked on the door. I had to wait barely a second before he opened the door.

"We need to talk." I told him firmly.

He looked taken aback. "About what?"

"What happened 15 years ago."

"Come in." Jasper said letting me into his room.

**Author's Note: So everyone knows who the father is now! I'm excited at where I'm going to take this. I know some people were surprised that Bella signed the papers so quickly so I rewrote the chapter in her P.O.V. so you could see what she was thinking. I got a really good idea for the next few chapters, and I'm really excited about all the positive response I'm getting.**

**Next Chapter: Bella/Paul P.O.V. Bella and Jasper talk about Riley and Sam talks to Paul about imprinting. **


	7. Chapter 7

**AussieGirl: Thanks! You are the most frequent reviewer! Love it! **

**Mira SeverusSirius Black-Snape: lol how did I make you cry?**

**bellacullen0711: Thanks! Right now my updates are kind of random but I usually plan on updating every two days. **

**Tinkerbear: Thank you! I love your enthusiasm! And there is a LOT more to it. **

**AussieGirl: Yes she should be like Nessie**** it's part of my plot. Don't worry ;) **

** : haha I will! **

**Nijer: When I first read Twilight I always pictured Jasper as a ginger with a goatee and wearing a red tracksuit all the time. Then when I saw Jackson Rathbone I started liking him more. And it just wouldn't be enough drama if Edward was the daddy. **

**Tshepo: You should be scared for them. Jasper is going to be so confused! **

**Sheened: Thanks for reviewing! I will never take offense to Caps Lock! MY OLD COMPUTER USED TO DO THAT ALL THE TIME! IT WAS SO ANNOYING! And I think it's wrong because Nessie was only a few MINUTES old. Here Paul is still young because he doesn't age. So really he is only two years older because all those years between BD and this story felt like only a few months to him. Well maybe like two years instead of thirteen. I think it was gross and wrong between Jake and Nessie and Quil and Claire because they were only babies. Riley is sixteen so it isn't as wrong in my mind. I was going to have another character Imprint on Riley but I just liked Paul so much that I decided I'll go with him. If you any questions feel free ask! I might answer faster if it's a PM.**

**Teamcullen: Thanks! I tried to drop hints without it being too obvious.**

**Jellybelly: Yes she should be like Nessie**** it's part of my plot. Don't worry ;) **

**Tala Peirce: Thanks! I hope it stays good. I'm afraid I'm going to mess it up! Nothing worse than when you're in the middle of a good story and then the author screws it up and you're just like "WWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAA A HAPPENED?!" **

**Ihavenoideawhattocallmyself: Haha I will. I tried to make it subtle but at the same time obvious! **

**Sndoles: Ugh! He did not know and I wrote this great chapter about him finding out and then my computer deleted it! So now this chapter sucks. And you're good at reading foreshadowing! **

**Mira SeverusSirius Black-Snape: Yep!**

**Kelfa: Thank you! Keep reviewing! **

**Ihavenoideawhattocallmyself: You guessed right! I made the daddy Jasper because I can't see Carlisle doing that to Esme or Edward. I can see it with Jasper though. And the storyline is going to be full of surprises! And this story came to me in a dream and in my dream the daddy was Mike Newton but then when I woke up I realized that story would suck. HA poor Mike! And Bella wouldn't sign the papers so easily. You're right. You'll see what I have planned for that later ;)**

Bella P.O.V.

"Bella, why are you bringing this up?" Jasper asked looking scared. I knew he regretted what we did. Every time I was near him the emotions he couldn't keep in rolled off him and onto me.

"Because there's something I never told you." I sat on his bed.

"Bella do we have do this now? I thought we put this behind us. It was a mistake. I'm over it let's just forgot it." Jasper said firmly. I wanted to forget about that night just as much as he did. I wanted to get up and leave the room and run back to the cottage to be with Edward. I wanted to leave it all behind me like I did sixteen years ago. But I couldn't. It was hard to leave her the first time around but I wasn't ready to be a mother. I told myself it was the right thing to do. That she would be better off. But now that I knew she wasn't, I couldn't just let her go.

"Yes. Yes we do. Something important came up."

"What came up?"

"Actually it wasn't something that came up. It was someone." My voice broke and pulled my knees in close to me.

"What do you mean someone?" Jasper asked in a dangerously calm voice.

"You left me." I mumbled.

"You had a kid." He muttered. I'd never been able to surprise Jasper. No one had ever been able to surprise Jasper. He knew everything, or guessed everything. Even Edward was surprised sometimes, when things popped into people's minds that he'd never thought of. Jasper was so in tune to a person's emotions and their tells that he could never be blindsided.

"Yes." I mumbled into my knees.

"Bella look at me." I didn't look at him. His voice was full of venom and anger.

"Look at me." This time he yelled.

"Jasper calm down." I whispered.

"BELLA LOOK AT ME DAMMIT!" He shouted. I slowly looked up at him and I hated what I saw. His face was contorted into a mask of fury. His golden eyes shined with anger that I'd never seen there before. He looked like a vampire.

"Jasper, I'm so sorry."

"You didn't tell me." His voice shook.

"You wanted to put it behind us." I cried out in defense my voice breaking. "You didn't want to talk about it. You said it was a mistake!"

His fist slammed onto the dressed breaking it in half. "THAT'S BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE CHILD! YOU NEVER TOLD ME! YOU LIED!"

"How was I supposed to tell you? You were gone! You left me! I woke up one morning and you were gone! Do you know how much that hurt?" I screamed back at him.

"Maybe as hurt as not knowing you had a kid out there somewhere!"

"What was I supposed to do? Walk around the world calling your name? I didn't know where you were! I didn't even know if you were in the country!"

"What about the fourteen years we've been back?" Jasper yelled as he started pacing around the room.

"You never talked to me about it! You wanted us to put it behind us. I was too scared to bring it up!"

"Scared of what?" He stopped abruptly then picked up something from a shelf on the wall and crushed it in his hand. "Scared I'd do that to it?"

I shook my head heatedly. "Of course not. I was scared you woulx act like you are now!"

"And how am I acting now?" He asked.

"Like a bastard." I told him and then regretted it. I never swore and I absolutely never swore at someone.

If my words hurt him though he didn't show it. Emmett had a potty-mouth so I assumed he was used to it. "And after I acted like this? After we had this argument what did you expect I'd do?"

I stayed quite for a moment. "I don't know. I never pictured after the fight. What are you going to do?"

He ignored me. "You never plan ahead do you?"

"Guess not."

"You were afraid of Edward." He said knowledgably. "You were afraid he'd leave you."

"It wouldn't be the first time he's done so." I whispered thinking about the time Edward had left me broken.

"And if you're so terrified about him leaving you then why tell me now?" Jasper asked.

"She was never adopted." I uncurled myself and started twisting my hands.

Jasper looked sad for a second then resumed his stubborn and angry expression and resumed pacing.

"And why does that matter now? She's 16, you want to adopt her?"

"I want something. Jasper listen to me," I said as Jasper started to sneer. "She came here today, Jasper I said _listen_ to me." I said frustrated as he opened his mouth to say something. "You can talk when I'm done. Charlie brought her here to me. She found him last night and he took her to La Push—"

"He took her across the boundary?" Jasper yelled looking upset.

"Jasper ssshhh! He never knew who the father was! He didn't understand what he was doing was against the treaty. Sam and the pack explained everything to her. She had a small freak out but that was it. She took it very well."

"Well thank God, for Sam and his mutts." Jasper interrupted quickly.

"JASPER! Will you let me _finish_?" I yelled frustrated. He waved his hand and shrugged. "Good now as I was saying, she knows. She doesn't care. I don't think she really cares about us."

"Wonder why." He muttered sarcastically.

I let out a scream of hindrance and fell back against the bed. "Shut up Jasper!" I cried.

"Fine, this time I'll be quiet." Jasper muttered sitting down on the bed next to where I lay.

I spoke the ceiling not sure if I could look at his face right now. "She seemed fine, she seemed happy and normal. She talked and then I had to find out from Charlie that she was never adopted. No one told me. I thought if no one took her in then someone would call or write and tell me—"

Even though I couldn't see his face I knew Jasper opened his mouth to say something so I took a pillow and swung it to his face and he muttered a small "Ow." And stayed quite.

"She needed me to sign emancipation papers. She wanted out of the foster-care system. She's going to be living on her own. I tried to help her, I asked if she needed money or a place to stay but she told me that she didn't need me anymore. I've never felt worse pain than that. Then Edward and Renesmee came in and she told them she was nobody. She thought I didn't care about her and I do. I love her and I wanted to tell her but she left." I said the last part and I gasped for the air I didn't need anymore.

Jasper was quite for a long time before he asked in a sarcastic voice, "Can I talk now?"

"Can you do that without interrupting yourself?" I asked coldly.

"Haha."

"What were you going to say?"

"So you're going adopt her?"

I sat up and hugged a pillow to my chest. "I don't know. I'm going to do something. I have to do something. I'm going to go after her. I'm not going to leave her on her own."

Jasper took another pillow and started to pick out feather from it. "Why are you telling me this?" He asked quietly.

"Because. Riley's your daughter. I've made up my mind and I'm going to go after her. Edward can't read my mind. He won't know you're her father if you choose you don't want anything to do with her. I can put up a shield around your mind so he won't be able to tell. It's your choice."

Jasper stayed quiet and continued to pluck feathers and then he smiled and whispered, "Riley."

"She looks exactly like you. With my brown eyes." I told him, he smiled more broadly at this.

"I'm her father. I'm going to act like one."

"I'm glad."

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Paul P.O.V.

"Paul, I need to talk with you." Sam said putting a hand on my shoulder. I shoved it off.

"Do you have too?" I whined knowing what this was about. "Can't you just change a diaper or something?

Sam knocked the muffin out of my hand onto the floor and growled.

"Sam that's good food!" Embry said looking down at the floor.

"Embry, I'll pay you 5 bucks to eat that." Tom called.

"Awesome." Embry said picking it off the floor and eating it.

"Embry that's disgusting." Leah scowled.

"Yeah it has Paul germs." Dylan teased.

"Embry stop eating things off the floor, Paul come outside now." Sam commanded in his Alpha voice. I groaned but obeyed.

We stomped out to the backyard and I turned to face him. Although years had gone by our bodies stayed the same as they were when we first phased and we looked and felt the same.

"You explained everything to Riley last night?" He asked sounding amused. I had made it known that I despised Imprinting and how it made us guys a bunch of lovesick puppy dogs and I knew the pack was taking great pleasure that I had imprinted.

When I first looked into Riley's eyes, everything else had melted away and then it felt like I was tied to all of the things I loved with stronger bonds, like steel cables and everything was connected to Riley. And I had to admit, I hated it. I hated being bound to someone I didn't know and I hated how clearer and brighter the world looked. I mean it was great, everything seemed amazing but I wanted the world to seem amazing because I said so. Not because some weird wolf magic thing.

"Yeah, I explained it to her." I said annoyed.

"Everything?"

"Well the stories told her most of it."

Sam rolled his eyes. "The stories didn't mention anything about imprinting."

"Yeah well, I might have glazed over that part but I told her about the Cullen's."

Sam was really annoyed now. "Paul! You have to go talk to her! The fact that she didn't freak-out over the fact that we were shape-shifters means she has guts!

"If I told her last night it would have freaked her out." I kicked a clump of dirt up from the ground messing up Emily's lawn. Sam scowled

"Em's going to kill you. And what do you expect to do? Never tell her? If you're absent from your imprint too long then you and her will both start to feel pain and sickness."

"You would be an expert." I told him kicking the clump as we continued to walk.

"Things worked out for the best."

"Yep, you have your snotty brats and Leah finally stopped being a bitch when she met Carter."

Sam hit me upside the head. "Leave my kids out of it."

"Whatever. How could I imprint on her? She's a leech's kid. And she probably carries around the filth gene with her." I said with disgust then gasped when a sudden pain in my chest erupted.

"Not pleasant insulting your imprint is it?" Sam said gravely.

"No." I spat rubbing my hand over my heart.

"It can't be fought."

"Maybe you just didn't fight hard enough." I suggested, immediately I regretted it. We had all seen how much he fought against it in his mind as well as Leah's.

"You want to repeat that?" He asked coldly.

I growled.

Sam laughed.

"She lives in Portland." I said glumly. "She's too far away. Maybe it can break with long-distance."

"Remember Victoria? We chased her through the Canada, Jared and I's imprints didn't break."

"Yeah well."

Sam sighed in frustration. I knew I was being stubborn, but I couldn't help but feel like I was being forced into something I didn't want even though I already loved her.

Riley living so far away and being Bella's daughter was the most imprint drama the pack had, had since Sam.

After that bloodsucker Bella's wedding Jake had spent a week moping around and then Sam ordered him out of the house and when he went to Quil's store he met Morgan. Morgan was a weirdo. Not even Jake denied it. She was a scientist and studied life so she was always running on these weird experiments and when she found out about the pack she was torn between awe and lethal anger because it wasn't science. She accepted the imprint without even thinking about it. The pack didn't have a pattern with our genes but she was always running tests on Jake to see if there was anything. She also thought marriage was too mainstream so Jake and she were just an exclusive couple. She did all these eccentric paintings and she once had a sudden urge to become a basketball player so she trained for an entire year before she quit because she was too short.

A few months after that Leah found Carter. He was this Gymnast from Colorado and moved here to train in Seattle. He moved in with his uncle on the reservation and one day Leah was walking around town being her normal bitchy self when she imprinted. It took Leah forever to build up the nerve to talk to him (girls, psshhh) and when she did she blew the pack secret on the second date. Carter had a freak-out moment (who could blame him?) and Leah just collapsed sobbing hysterically about Sam and Emily and every secret she had and instead of running away Carter wrapped his arms around her and comforted her. They married two years later.

Brady imprinted on this little Asian Ballerina named Dana. She was short and cute and much too nice for him. They dated for a year and he never told her about imprinting or the pack and when Collin accidently let something slip, she had this huge tantrum that we still tease her about. She refused to contact him for a week and then she went running back to him.

And then there was me.

The hot-head werewolf who's been in the pack since it started. Never moving on, never aging, never doing anything in my life. Just making ass-hat remarks and having trouble keeping his temper cool. And then this off-spring of a leech-lover enters his life and now he's completely confused.

"What is it that you hate so much about imprinting? It worked out fine for the rest of us." Sam said shaking his head.

"It takes away the choices. Everything is different because of her. Everything is nicer and neater and I know how I feel about everything. It's horrible." I shuddered.

Sam looked at me and then burst out laughing. I aimed a punch at him but he dodged easily. "You're upset because you're happy?"

"You don't just get it." I muttered.

"Nope. Afraid I don't get it." he said smiling.

"You're a prick."

"Yeah yeah. Just don't say that around the kids." He jogged back into the house still laughing.

I picked up the clump of dirt and threw it a few dozen years into the forest mumbling a few curse words at Sam.

MWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMW MWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWM

Alice P.O.V.

"Wouldn't this be beautiful on Nessie?" Rosalie asked holding up a blue dress. Bella was still hopeless at shopping so Rose and I were in charge of clothes. Even if we bought more than she needed. We were aunties though, we could spoil her all we wanted.

I nodded eagerly. "She looks so good in blue."

"She looks pretty in everything can't we leave." Emmett whined. Rosalie laughed.

"You shouldn't have told me you were up for anything then." The blonde rolled her eyes.

"Next time I'll be more specific what I want." Emmett grumbled. I laughed at his disgruntled appearance when I was assaulted with a sudden vision.

_Bella and Jasper were sitting in his bedroom. Bella was tucked in a little ball and her face was so distraught that if she had been human she would have surely been in tears. Jasper's face was livid. In all my years with him I had never seen him so mad. His topaz eyes blazed with fire._

"_You wanted to put it behind us." Bella cried out in defense her voice breaking. "You didn't want to talk about it. You said it was a mistake!" _

_Jasper's fist slammed onto the dressed breaking it in half. "THAT'S BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE CHILD! YOU NEVER TOLD ME! YOU LIED!"_

"_How was I supposed to tell you? You were gone! You left me! I woke up one morning and you were gone! Do you know how much that hurt?" Bella screamed back at him._

"_Maybe as hurt as not knowing you had a kid out there somewhere!" Jasper yelled._

"_What was I supposed to do? Walk around the world calling your name? I didn't know where you were! I didn't even know if you were in the country!" She yelled back._

"What about the fourteen years we've been back?" Jasper yelled as he started pacing around the room.

"_You never talked to me about it! You wanted us to put it behind us. I was too scared to bring it up!"_

"Alice! Alice what did you see?" Rosalie's panicked voice asked me frantically. I dimly noticed that I had fallen over in the empty department of the store. I was on my knees and I was shaking. Something I had never done in all my years of being a vampire. I'd never been in so much pain before.

"Alice what happened?" Emmett asked his voice soothing as he pulled my hair back from my eyes.

"He went to her." I whimpered as my body shook with tremors of pain. I felt betrayed, he betrayed me with my bestfriend. We weren't bestfriends at the time. I had left her and she thought that I hated her. She was wrong but she couldn't know that. I had kept tabs on her. When I saw her in an awful place emotionally I sent Jasper to her.

"Who went to who?" Rosalie asked holding my hand. I gripped on tightly needing all the support I could get.

"I sent him to her." He had spent a month with her. He left me for a month. Jasper and I were going through a rough patch at the time and when I saw her reaching life slipping out of her clutches I sent Jasper to her because he was closer. I waited a month for him to come back. I wondered everyday why he was taking so long getting back. Now I knew.

"You sent who? Is this about Jasper?" Rosalie asked. I let out a small scream at the sound of his name. It felt like I had been stabbed in the back and someone had dragged the knife upwards and twisted it deep into my heart.

"Is he okay?" Emmett asked concerned for his brother.

"Bella." I spit out and my heart hurt more thinking of how she betrayed me. How she looked into my eyes for 16 years knowing that she betrayed me.

"What about Bella and Jasper?" Rosalie asked her voice using a high-pitch. I must really be freaking them out but I couldn't help it right now. As she said their names I flinched.

"What's going to happen Alice?" Emmett sounded frantic now.

"It already happened. 16 years ago." I growled, surprised my natural reaction to the pain. I was a vampire though. It was hard to resist the impulse to attack first when we were in complete control of ourselves.

Emmett and Rosalie exchanged confused glances.

"Alice honey, what?" Rose asked.

"She had his kid. They had a baby." I said quietly, as another blow hit my chest. Saying it aloud made it a million times worse. I thanked God, for our vampire hearing. I might have exploded if I had to say it any louder.

"Alice, you must be mistaken." Rose said patronizing.

"I'm not. It all makes sense. We were fighting. I know he was in Forks the time she would have conceived."

"Alice, no, Jasper wouldn't do that to you." Emmett stated firmly.

"He did."

"Alice you're wrong." Emmett stated a little more harshly.

"It was clear. I've been having little flashes for weeks now. I know it's true. It's so clear." I cried leaning into Emmett.

Rose's eyes flashed. "I'm going to kill him. Oh, I'm going to _kill_ him." She vowed.

"I'll help." Emmett growled.

"Come on, let's get out of here." Rose said soothingly setting me back on my feet. Emmett and Rosalie continued to talk but I tuned them out.

I was going through all the visions I'd had all these weeks. There was always a teenage girl who looked exactly like Jasper but with _her_ eyes in the middle of her face.

I was surprised we arrived home so soon. As soon as I stepped into the house Edward's angry voice called out to me.

"It's not true Alice. It can't be."

"It is." I replied before running upstairs to Jasper's room. Inside it was empty except for the furniture and a note on his bed that read:

_Alice, _

_I know you must know. I feel your emotions even when we're this far. It was a mistake. I've tried putting it behind me but I can't now. I'm trying to do the noble thing. I hope you can understand. I love you. I'll be home soon._

_Love, Jasper._

I sat down on his bed and read the short note over and over again before I collapsed on the bed and started to weep while I vaguely heard Edward's angry yells from downstairs.

**Author's Note: So I took a while to update this chapter. I worked really hard on the Bella and Jasper part and it was really long and I was super proud of it and then guess what? My computer SHUT OFF! I LOST IT! I was pretty upset. So I rewrote that part and now it's shorter than it was and it sucks now. *Sigh* I might try and rewrite it some other time but I was so upset that I decided to leave ya'll with the yucky chapter. You also got to read a bit of Sam and Paul. I actually think that part is better than what I originally wrote. Because the Bella and Jasper part was so short I added the Alice part. I'm happy with that part too. This is my longest chapter with all my own writing. Over 4,000 words. Anyway I plan on updating soon! Thanks for sticking with this story and please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

Riley P.O.V.

Charlie drove me to the bus station a few minutes before the bus left. He had driven in silence and he gave me a quick one-armed hug before I quickly boarded the bus.

15 hours was a nice time for thinking. I was proud of myself for keeping it together and not freaking out when Paul told me about werewolves and vampires. They just seemed so normal that it didn't feel like a big deal. Now that I was alone however….

It just seemed so strange and wrong. I mean really? What was next? Demons and Ghosts? Was I going to wake one morning and notice that I sprouted horns? I almost regretted going to Forks. But if I didn't I would have had to wait a 6 months before my social worker contacted her. I thought of my mother's husband. I couldn't imagine him drinking someone's blood. I couldn't imagine my mother drinking blood. It seemed so wrong. How could she have wanted that?

And the pack. All those boys were huge, yes, but I imagined the younger guys, Tom and Dylan. Even though they were tall and buff the thought of them exploding into giant wolves didn't make sense. Maybe it was a joke. Let's play a trick on the new girl. Yes, that seemed plausible.

But if that was true then why did Charlie play along with him? I can see a bunch of teenage guys doing that but Charlie was an old man. He wouldn't have any patience for that.

I replayed every event in my head. Everything made sense. Everything fit. Everything felt _true_. I was sure none of those guys were good enough actors to pull off a joke that big.

I remembered Sam throwing a laughing Levi into the air. I laughed at a brief image of wolf howling at the moon with Sam's hair covered face.

No matter how I looked at it, it was true.

The bus finally pulled into the last stop. I grabbed my bag and jumped off. I quickly hailed a cab and he took me to my foster-house. I noticed he grew uncomfortable as we pulled into my neighborhood. After I paid him he sped out of here. I walked up to the house.

After being in the Cullen's house, my current living situation seemed worse than it did two days ago.

The grass was dead as it always was with a few more pieces of litter than when I left it. I stepped on a few cigarette butts on the sidewalk. I jammed the key into the lock and jiggled it till the door flew open. On the floor were toys from the younger kids and unpaid bills from the foster-family. My stomach rumbled and I headed into the kitchen for food. The fridge was empty save for a few pieces of moldy fruit and an empty carton of milk.

I shut it and wished I hadn't eaten all my food on the bus. It's not like I don't get fed here. There just wasn't anything good. I grabbed Lucky Charms off the shelf and ate it dry.

After that I slugged up the stairs, each one creaking. I changed into my pajamas in the bathroom where the sink was a mess. Toothpaste from God knows how long ago was stained onto the sink and like every other room in the house the floor was littered with garbage except it was more repulsive because it was bathroom garbage. There were only two bedrooms in the house. One for my "parents" and the other for the girls. Since there was only two guys living here they slept on pull-out couch in the basement. The girl's room was small. All of the space was taken up by three beds pushed together. We had a rack for our clothes and a bin for our belongings. I dropped my bag in the bin and went to my part of the bed. There were four of us girls. Tina and Lily were the youngest so they got their own beds and Jenny who was 12 got to share a bed with me.

"Move over." I mumbled tired pushing her into the middle so I would get the end.

"Mm." She groaned sleepily clawing at me with her hand. I sighed and stood on the bed and squeezed myself between her and Lily.

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(A few hours later)

"Riley, wake up!" An annoyed voice told me. I woke up and looked blearily into the face of Jenna.

"I'm up." I mumbled into the pillow before standing up. The house was full of shouts so I knew everyone was up. I grabbed my court outfit of the rack and went to the bathroom to shower. I made it fast since I only had 20 minutes of bathroom time in the morning. I hopped out and started getting dressed. I was in my underwear when the door flew open I covered myself with my hands.

My 11 year-old foster brother stood there laughing evilly.

"Perv!" I shouted slamming the door in his face.

The siblings I hated the most were the curious little boys. I'd been getting peeped at since I was 14.

After I pulled on a blue blouse and black skirt with rhinestone studs and a heart necklace, and I fixed my hair in a bun, applying a light coat of make-up I headed downstairs.

The kitchen was the main source of the shouts. Lily and Tina were hitting each other and screaming. Jenna was having a conversation on the phone, and the two guys were wrestling in the living room.

"Hey Riley! Did he peep at you again?" Chris asked and he had Brendon in a headlock.

"Kick his ass." I told him.

"I'll take that as a yes." Chris smiled. Chris was the only tolerable person in the house.

"CHRIS! Let go of him now!" Kathryn screamed as she walked into the room carrying a pan of eggs.

"You're son peeped at me again. He has serious problems." I told her. She ignored this.

"Chris let Brendon go. Give the girls their breakfast." Kathryn shoved the frying pan at him and Chris reluctantly removed his arms from Brendan's neck and took the frying pan. I started to move past her but her hand shot out and grabbed my arm.

"Where have you been?" She asked. I knew she wasn't concerned. She was only annoyed that I disobeyed her.

"Out. I thought you'd appreciate a break from me." I pulled my arm out of her grasp and walked into the kitchen. Chris tossed me a plate and I caught it while he dumped eggs onto it.

"Couldn't have extended that vacation a little?" Kathryn yelled pulling apart her twins from killing each other.

"Whatever." I rolled my eyes.

"You know, Riley, the state isn't paying me enough to deal with you."

"After today, you won't have to deal with it." I told her eating quickly.

"Don't make promises you can't keep." She yelled picking up a toy and handing it to Tina.

I put the plate in the sink and grabbed a jacket with my purse and left the house. I had to walk out of the neighborhood before I could get to the train station. There were a lot of people on the train on their way to work so no one paid me any attention.

The courtroom was busy for a Monday morning. I went through security removing all the metal as they searched my bag. The security guard moved one of those handheld metal detector things across my body. It flashed near my lower region and he raised his eyebrows.

"Navel piercing." I rolled my eyes and lifted my shirt.

After that I went to my courtroom. There were only a few people in it. My caseworker sat inside the section separating us and the people who were waiting their turn. She waved me over. She showed me where to sit and I waited for the judge to come in. A few more people walked in. They wanted to be early for their cases I supposed. After sitting there a few minutes the judge walked in and everyone fell silent.

"Will Riley Swan please rise?" She asked. I stood up and gave her a small smile which she ignored.

"I've reviewed your file and it says here that you will be turning 16 next week?" She asked reading my file.

"Yes, your honor," I replied in a firm voice. One thing I always took pride in was the fact that I never shied away from confrontation. "I'll be able to get emancipated, I can get my G.E.D. get a job."

"And is this your caseworker here?" She said motioning to Diane who stood up.

"I am your honor." She answered. "I've only been with Riley a few months, she tends to change hands often."

"I see here you've been in 7 different foster homes." The judge said looking at me like I was a troublemaker.

"Well, that's not really my fault." I defended against her stare.

"And whose is it? Surely you're not saying it's the 7 different families who tried to take you in." She asked looking exasperated.

That's exactly what I'm saying, I thought. Had she never been in one of these homes? Obviously not. "No, I mean I wanted a good home, the state of Oregon just hasn't provided me with one." I told her as my voice started to shake and I flushed. This wasn't going well.

"So you have no permanent place of residence as of today?" She asked.

"Well, as soon as my petition is granted, there's a studio not far from my school." I told her the confidence coming back into my voice.

She dropped my file and crossed her arms. "And how can you afford an apartment? On what income?"

"I have three-thousand dollars in the bank." I said becoming more assertive.

"And who's going to co-sign your rental agreement?" She asked looking exasperated again. What was this women's problem?

I gave a shaky laugh. "The whole point of being emancipated is that I won't need it co-signed."

"No landlord is going to rent to a minor." She closed my file. No, no, no! My head screamed. She already made up her mind.

"I'll co-sign it, your honor." A voice called from the back of the room. I spun around and saw my mother. She was standing up and wearing an outfit similar to mine except hers was nicer. A tall man stood next to her and I sucked in a sharp breath.

He was very tall and had curly honey-blonde hair. His skin was as pale as my mothers. His eyes were a golden yellow. His face had a stern look to him and his jaw bone was prominent. His nose was prominent and he was skinny but he had well defined muscles that I could see through his white dress shirt. He had long black eyelashes. I could see what my mother meant. I did look exactly like him. He was looking at the judge right now. As I stared at him I realized he was a vampire.

The judge looked confused. "I'm sorry, who are you people."

I turned around back to the judge. "I, uh, they're…my birth parents."

She reopened my file and my heart leapt. Her mind wasn't made up! The judge flipped through my file and I glanced at my parents. My mother was staring at the judge but now my father was staring at me. We looked at each other for a long time and then he gave a small smile.

"Sir?" The judge asked.

His attention snapped back to her. "Yes?" His voice had a southern accent.

"It says here that you own your own business?"

"Co-own. My brother Emmett owns the other half of the garage."

"And it says here that you're a nurse?" she asked my mother who nodded.

"No criminal record, each in possession of a working vehicle—"

"I'm sorry, wha—what's going on here?" I asked confused.

The judge closed my file and leaned forward. "Okay, I'm going to be very straight with you. I am _not_ granting you emancipation."

My jaw dropped and tears sprung into my eyes. The judge continued. "You have no income, you have no permanent residence, and you filed a fee waiver in order to cover your court costs."

She turned to my parents. "Now, Isabella Cullen, Jasper Whitlock are still legally your parents."

"Uh, actually they're not. I had that paper signed." I pointed out. "Jasper Whitlock maybe my biological father but his name is not present in my custody arrangements and I had my mother signed the papers yesterday, witnessed by Charlie Swan." The judge frowned and I stood up a little taller, proud of myself for out-smarting her.

"I didn't sign that paper." My mother called from behind me. I whipped around and stared at her. What did she mean she didn't _sign_ it? She used my pen!

"I signed it as Isabella Swan. I've been married to my husband Edward Cullen for thirteen years and I took his last name. I haven't been Isabella Swan in thirteen years, I've been Isabella Cullen as legalized by the state of Washington." She called out in a strong voice. I stared at her in disbelief. I couldn't believe this. How could she do this to me?

"So," The judge continued. "Unless anyone here has an objection, I am releasing you back into their temporary joint custody. This case is dismissed." She banged her gavel down. The bang echoed in my ears and I stood there shocked.

"Next case." Her voice called and I angrily picked up my purse and stalked out of the courtroom. I past my parents but didn't stop. I marched up the large marble staircase until I reached the highest floor where I found a bench and I sat down on it stared at the ceiling, breathing heavily.

"Riley." My mom's voice said quietly.

"Go away." I said still staring at the ceiling. It had a large skylight and the rain of Oregon splashed down on it.

"Riley I can't." She whispered sounding sad.

"It's easy. Turn around, move your right foot, and then your left and keep a pattern. One foot in front of the other. I'm pretty sure there's a Christmas song about it, if you need a tutorial."

I heard my father chuckle and a dull thud and then him muttering, "Ouch."

"Riley, I'm sorry but we had too. I couldn't let you get emancipated. You're too young. You wouldn't be able to take care of yourself."

"Yep, because being in a house of vampires is much better." I nodded.

"Is that what you're afraid of? Because we won't hurt you ever—"

"It's not that." I told her.

"Then what is it?"

"I don't want parents. I don't need them. I wanted and needed them when I was 3, when I was 5, and pretty much of every year till I turned 14. I can take care of myself. I pretty much have been my entire life and now when I tried to get something I really want, you pushed it out of my grasp. And I was so close." I said quietly.

"Riley look at me." My mother's low voice said and I looked at her. She didn't look sad like I expected. She looked determined.

"I'm sorry. I am so sorry, I can keep apologizing till the world ends, and I can because I might be around that long. But I can't make up for any of that now, and I know you don't want me too but I promise you, that you will be better off with us. My mother was very flighty. I was the one who paid the bills, and cleaned the house and made sure we didn't get hurt. She wasn't a bad mother, she just wasn't mature. And that was a lot of pressure to keep on a 12 year-old. I don't want that pressure to go to you. I want to take care of you."

These weren't the words I had dreamed of my mother telling me since I was younger. These words meant more. They were more powerful because they were powerful, and sure.

I wanted to go with her. I'd wanted to go with her ever since I was little. I wanted to go with her every single mother's day. It would be so simple. I would open my mouth and say yes. But I couldn't. I wanted to but my body wouldn't let me.

"I can't I'm sorry." I gasped and ran down the stairs away from everything I'd always wanted.

**Author's Note: Kind of short chapter. Only 2,804 words. Most of the dialogue I used was from Life Unexpected. Also since Renesmee was born instead of going to high-school the rest of the Cullen's opened up businesses. I know they still look young, and everybody in Forks is wondering why, but humans see what they want to see. They imagined them getting older even though they aren't really. That's all I have to say for this chapter! Please review! I love reviews!**


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